Senators Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins and Mitch McConnell voted against confirming Donald Trump’s pick for defense secretary. To Capitol insiders, their decisions weren’t surprising.

On Friday night, Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell strode onto the Senate floor and, without a moment’s hesitation, voted against the Republican president’s nominee for secretary of defense. The vote marked the hard launch of a new, unburdened, and final chapter in McConnell’s 40-year Senate career.

The Trump administration needs to come up with a "McConnell strategy" if it doesn't want a full-on Republican revolt to stall the Trump agenda, according to CNN's Manu Raju. Last week, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) defied Trump by breaking with Republicans during the vote to confirm Pete Hegseth as secretary of defense.

After a few GOP senators, including McConnell, voted against Hegseth for defense secretary, the Senate narrowly voted to confirm him.

President Trump on Friday said he wasn’t expecting Republican Sens. Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) and Susan Collins (Maine) to vote against his controversial nominee for secretary of Defense: Army

The Senate on Friday night confirmed President Donald Trump’s nomination of Pete Hegseth, a former Fox News personality, to become the country’s next defense secretary.

"McConnell spent his life creating this crisis...Only at the end does he find a conscience," political commentator Wajahat Ali wrote.

At the White House, President Donald Trump said he was surprised that two senators have publicly said they'll vote against his nominee to lead the Defense Department.

Sen. Susan Collins will be in the spotlight this week as high profile hearings get underway for two of President Donald Trump's most controversial cabinet appointees. But it will require some extra hustle from Maine's senior senator.

Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky voted against President Donald Trump's nominee to be secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth.

President Donald Trump dismissed Sen. Mitch McConnell’s (R-KY) no-vote Friday night against now-Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. The former Fox News weekend host was confirmed Friday night with Vice President JD Vance casting a tie-breaking vote to end Hegseth’s controversial confirmation process.

WASHINGTON – Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell was one of three Republicans voting against the confirmation of Pete Hegseth on Friday to be secretary of Defense, though his appointment was approved by the narrowest of margins.